The networks of cities are a means of strengthening the international insertion of local governments, increasing opportunities for decentralized international cooperation and exchanging knowledge.
These networks act as bridges on the international discussion and the dissemination of the challenges faced by cities; they also allow them to work with strategic partners from different places around the world who share the same interests and challenges.
The networks became stronger during the 1980s with the creation of Metropolis, a global association that brings together cities with more than one million inhabitants. Later, in the nineties, other initiatives such as the Eurocities Network , in Europe, and Mercociudades, in South America were born.
In fact, the internationalization processes have been strengthened by networks of cities, as they open opportunities for participation in international events and awards designed to maximize the dissemination of the best practices of each territory in terms of social and economic development. In the case of Medellín, these networks have been the best scenario to exchange best practices and to strengthen international relations which have enabled cooperation and human development processes.
A team made up by ACI Medellín, Procolombia, Invest in Armenia, ProBarranquilla, Invest in Bogota and Invest in Pacific have started the Alianza Pacífico tour in Lima and Santiago, which has left important relations for future projects between these countries and Colombia.
ACI Medellín presented them with the city’s greater projection investment opportunities such as hotel infrastructure, manufacturing, agro-industry and the Innovation District. In this sense, the challenge is to foster the best conditions for the development and expansion of these businesses, considering the expectations of the investors.
ACI Medellín Executive Director, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal presented the advantages and opportunities of Medellín and the metropolitan region for the arrival of Foreign Direct Investment.
“We had the opportunity to talk before more than 80 Peruvian and Chilean investors, and I would say they were pleased with the possibilities offered by Medellín and Antioquia .I would like to highlight the fact that we show a wide range of investment possibilities different from those that have traditionally been pointed out by the executives of these countries in Colombia .This is very positive because we have opened the way to the exploration of opportunities which were under their radar,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.
The Alianza Pacífico tour will culminate this May in Mexico, where investors from Monterrey, Mexico City and Querétaro will be presented the opportunities offered by Medellín and Antioquia.
ACI Medellín’s Executive Director participated in the Round Table called “Social challenges on the implementation of the 2030 agenda,” in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, ECLAC. There, she presented the progress made by the Medellín Mayor’s Office in the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
Chilean Sofofa and Procolombia held the meeting to promote Colombia as a destination for foreign direct investment which was attended by almost 40 Chilean companies.
In compliance with the Development Plan 2016-2019 Medellín Cuenta Con Vos and its 7th dimension: “To collectively protect the environment,” the Medellín Mayor’s Office and the Secretariat of Environment have developed a new process that seeks to protect the hydrographic basins which supply the aqueducts of the city..
It’s the Payment for Environmental Services, which seeks to protect 29 watersheds of Medellín through the payment of a monthly economic incentive for the conservation, restoration and protection of the city’s water resource to owners of 449 properties located in the rural area of the city.
In May of this year, the Mayor’s Office will select the participants according to their score in a public call. The chosen ones will receive an economic benefit according to the area of natural forest within their land (1.14 current legal minimum monthly wages per hectare) or the area of the property where the forest will be recovered (2.78 current legal minimum monthly wages).
The resources to be granted amount to 4 billion pesos. To access the grant, a person must: be owner or holder of one or more properties, be up to date in the property tax payment and declare that the property is not in discussion of ownership.
According to Sergio Andrés Orozco Escobar, Secretary of Environment of Medellín, the Payment for Environmental Services: “it’s a way to teach our people to value our environmental heritage by taking care of the water sources and environmental resources which are so important for the city and the region. In this case, the Mayor’s Office does not buy lands or expropriate them, instead invites people to stay on theirs, to take care of them, value them and take ownership of its space. This guarantees the continuity of this natural and diverse asset of Medellin.”
For more information and to continue with the application process, please write to[email protected] or dial (054) 589 8929.
Map of Medellin marking the areas to be intervened by the Environmental Services Program.
On April 15, Sos Paisa will gather the Paisa* community in Lima, Peru, and on Friday, April 20, the meeting will be with those living in Santiago, Chile. The appointment in Lima is at 4:00 pm in the restaurant Mi Colombia Café Resto Bar, Miraflores neighborhood and in Santiago de Chile will be at 7:00 pm in the restaurant La Casa en el Aire, Bellavista neighborhood..
These meetings aim to create a community with those from Antioquia who live abroad and link them to Medellín, to tell them about the city’s transformation and invite them to contribute to it.
The Sos Paisa Network is a program of Medellín Mayor’s Office coordinated by the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, to connect Paisas abroad with the different initiatives that the government currently drives.
Each meeting is an open space to share experiences with these Paisas, to know their projects abroad and to connect them with Medellín.
“We are pleased to invite all Paisas in Lima and Santiago to be part of SOS Paisa. It fills us with joy to attend these meetings and see so many Paisas making their lives abroad. This is a fantastic opportunity to get closer to them, tell them about Medellín, connect them with their city and show them everything they have at disposition to contribute to the different programs of the city,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.
The tour will be accompanied by Procolombia, ACI Medellín, Invest in Pacific, Invest in Bogota, Probarranquilla and Proarmenia.
Medellín’s advantages in terms of innovation, agroindustry and infrastructure and those from Antioquia, as one of the departments with the greatest diversity and agro-industrial growth, will be presented. In addition, the region has a high tourism and hotel development and both, air and land connectivity which directly benefits business growth in Colombia.
“It is essential for ACI Medellín to participate in these meetings. We will have there the opportunity to understand the needs of Peruvian, Chilean and other investors from all around the world who are interested in investing in Colombia. At the same time, it is an ideal place to raise awareness on the enormous advantages the city offers to foreign direct investment. In this sense, the support of Procolombia which benefits all regions of the country is very important,” said Catalina Restrepo Carvajal, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.
ACI Medellín will show the advantages of the Aburrá Valley and Antioquia in terms of innovation, agroindustry and infrastructure.
The Mexican embassy to Colombia will offer a serenade to the country in the framework of the Mexico – Colombia Year. The Symphony Orchestra and Mariachi of the Ministry of Defense of Mexico will lead the show at Metropolitan Theater of Medellín on Thursday April 5 – 20:00 hr.
Since 2011, both countries together with Chile and Peru, formed the regional integration block Alianza Pacífico (Alliance of the Pacific).
The event will be attended by representatives from both countries. Also, a recognition will be presented to the best Colombian mariachi groups, seeking to increasingly strengthen the cultural relations between both nations.
For almost two centuries, Colombia and Mexico have maintained a strong diplomatic relationship which translates into cooperation on technical, scientific, educational, cultural, economic and security issues.
It is this close relationship which has allowed 10 Mexican companies to settled in Medellín between 2008 and 2017. They were supported by ACI Medellín, thus, boosting local economy and contributing to the social development of Medellín’s inhabitants.
Konecta is a Spanish multinational provider of comprehensive BPO and Contact Center services for several sectors wich consolidates is offices in Medellín. It has 100 engineers in Ruta N facilities co-working in an environment that favors the generation of new technological services.
Konecta exports digital technology services to Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Morocco, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Brazil, generating more than 15,300 jobs.
Konecta’s challenge for 2018 is to constantly update its technological capacity to adapt to the new reality of markets and provide them with effective mechanisms to connect customers with a solution that fit their needs.
“The necessity to centralize software development in on country was defined in the company’s strategy. Different alternatives were analyzed and, finally, Medellín – Colombia was chosen for its qualified professional human talent; the local government’s commitment to innovation and to the development of technological projects,” said. José Roberto Sierra, president of Konecta Colombia.
In October 2017, Konecta settled its multidisciplinary innovation center supported by Procolombia, the Ruta N Corporation and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín. It is dedicated to the construction of software solutions and processes of digital transformation from Medellín to the world.
The United Nations has launched Global Marketplace, a digital platform to make public the bids of its organizations for vendors from all around the world..
More than 40 UN organizations publish their bid announcements on this platform and vendors can register for free.
This platform is called United Nations Global Marketplace, UNGM. It brings together companies and individual consultants so they can participate in calls and present the services and products they offer to different countries, territories and in various languages.
In the same way, interested parties can access the Knowledge Center, a useful tool provided by the UN to post information about business seminars, procurement rules and regulations, as well as valuable information about each organization.
This is an excellent opportunity for companies in the city to become vendors for the United Nations and to access the necessary information to do business with this international organization.
Those interested in learning more about Global Marketplace can access: www.ungm.org
With three comprehensive intervention projects, in urban renewal, mobility and attention to early childhood, Medellín has become an international model of overcoming low levels of human development and caring for the most vulnerable populations. From ACI Medellín, these are the stories, told the world, about the transformation of the city in order to attract new resources, position public policy in the country and abroad, and exchange experiences.
Despite being separated by a mere 23 minutes, and being very close to the river that runs through the city from south to north, for many of the inhabitants of the northeastern area, going to work or making a purchase in downtown Medellín meant “going down” to the city. That was the description of the trip and the disconnection they felt with their own city, and as it was called by scholars, a historical exclusion. This exclusion could finally be solved with the Metrocable and the PUI (Comprehensive Urban Project in Spanish).
“those living in the sector were part of the forgotten geography. We had no spaces to walk in. There were only small houses on top of more small houses along the creek, so people said this was like ‘El Pesebre’ (a manger).” Luz Marina Gómez, community leader of “La Francia” neighborhood
Comprehensive Urban Projects have changed the lives of more than 170.000 inhabintants in Medellín.
She does not remember a different neighborhood, because she has lived here all her life. She inherited land from her father, as well as the spirit of always looking for the welfare of people. She did not leave when violence stole tranquility. She hesitated when the government promised change, and today, she assures with certainty, she will only leave La Francia when she dies. The PUI has changed her life and that of more than 170,000 inhabitants, with 28 projects in 13 neighborhoods.
However, she also says with insistence that no one believed in what the State had promised to do. She spoke with social managers and engineers at the “Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano” (Urban Development Corporation, EDU, in Spanish) and asked them what was going to happen. She was informed and then she retold the information during meetings in improvised places such as sports facilities and a billiard club, a few blocks away from her house.
“It was permanent and hard work to gain trust, but finally works began, and I was overwhelmed with all I had to do.” She was in charge of welcoming the workers, recording the time shifts and even had to verify the stock of construction tools available. Together with her neighbors, she worked for the territory they had imagined and planned during the workshops.
With this PUI, they moved from fear to hope, and from hope to life, thanks to the execution of works such as the “Paseo Urbano” (urban boulevard) at Calle 106, which increased the shops from 35 to about 250; the “Centro de Desarrollo Empresarial Zonal, Cedezo, in Santo Domingo Savio (Zonal Business Development Center) to support business ideas; the “Unidad Deportiva y Recreativa Granizal” (Sports and Recreational Facilities) to benefit 500,000 inhabitants; and the construction of the “Parque Biblioteca España,” the “Parque Lineal Quebrada La Herrera,” 126 homes and the “Mirador Andalucía – La Francia Bridge,” linking two sectors separated over the years, among other works totaling 25,000 square meters of urban facilities and 125,000 square meters of new public space.
“Medellín has achieved becoming an innovative city, not because of technology production, but because of its capacity for social and holistic intervention. We have communities who love their areas of residence, who feel part of the State and see the retribution of the contributions made via taxes. Therefore, the city went from being one of the most violent in the world, exclusionary and divided, to becoming the most innovative.” Margarita María Rivera, director of Social Management at EDU.
Social planning in Medellín, the Latin American school
Having national and international benchmarks such as the favelas -shacks, slums shantytowns- in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; slums in Barcelona, Spain, and Bogotá’s urban transformation in the nineties, Medellín configured its Social Urbanization with a series of planning and intervention actions to promote comprehensive human development with citizen participation.
With the PUI for the North-Eastern area of the city, the first in the capital of Antioquia and completed in 2004, a replicable model that combines three components was created. It included physical reformation with the construction of cultural, sporting and educational facilities, housing, mobility and environmental improvement; social reformation, with the strengthening of citizen participation and mobilization; and institutional reform, which brings together government action across a range of programs and the promotion of appropriation of spaces and the quality of life of its people.
This model not only provided strength for Medellín to obtain recognition by the “Nobel of cities award” the Lee Kuan Yew World City 2016, delivered by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and the Center for Liveable Cities, but was also the gateway for the world coming through Medellín, together with the management of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area –ACI Medellín. And it will open the path for other PUI to be developed in the Comuna 13 San Javier, the basin of the La Iguaná and the Northwest areas in El Picacho and at Central Eastern, by the green corridor of the Ayacucho Tram.
The modern tram, the face of the future
At the road corridor connecting the east of the region with downtown, through which one of the lines of the first electric tram in the 1940s ran, and the path through which farmers with colorful Silletas arrived in the marketplace, now runs the only modern tram in the country and the first in operation in Latin America in the twenty-first century.
As in the past, this passageway, of meeting and rest, residents, pedestrians and domestic and foreign travelers go up and down the 4.3 km route. They marvel at the 30 or more works of popular urban art painted on murals and facades of houses, and enjoy the more than 113,000 square meters of new public spaces and green areas.
One of the families who lived and made part of this change is the owner of Pizzas & Lasagna, a street vendor who began 22 years ago in Ayacucho and who then moved on to a commercial shop, led by the perseverance and discipline of food engineer William Lince and business manager Gloria Ledesma.
Para Pizzas & Lasagna, the construction of Ayacucho’s Tram was a grow opportunity.
“On the weekends we are completely dedicated to the business. Selling on the streets was the way to begin but not a sustainable idea over time. We generated sales, but not capital,” explains William. So, they opened their first restaurant in Quinta Linda within the Buenos Aires neighborhood, where they soon won the recognition and appreciation of neighbors. With the desire to grow, they opened a second point of sale on Ayacucho Avenue and no more than thirty days went by when the tram works began.
“We did not expect the project to start off so fast; it was a big surprise. However, we believed and we stayed. We implemented sales strategies to sustain the business and were sure there would come a time of recovery and profits,” says Gloria.
Parallel to their flavor recognition of pizzas and lasagnas
and service excellence, another family dream was on the verge, in the production of artisanal ice cream. Daniela, their daughter, inherited the entrepreneurial spirit and while attending high school, took a course on ice cream preparation that marked her for life. While her father worked on the formulas, ingredients and chemical compositions to achieve the best flavor, she was attending school to become a food engineer and was getting ready for her next step, traveling for study at Carpigiani University in Italy. After that, only good news arose: participation and victory in the Gellato World Tour in Chicago in 2016 and third prize in the world in 2017 for the flavor “Amor-Acuyá,” a combination of chocolate,
passion fruit and the love the Lince Ledesma family has put in everything they do.
Today, from the headquarters of Pizzas & Lasagna, they appreciate not having left Ayacucho and are surprised to see the improvement in mobility, the sense of belonging of the people and of course, the increase in customers who visit their restaurant daily, thanks to its main course menu or for the dessert that has already achieved global recognition by chefs and ice cream makers alike.
Buen Comienzo to grow-up
Another one of the neighborhoods of the capital of Antioquia which was developed primarily with displaced population during the mid-sixties and seventies was Carpinelo, in the Comuna 1 Popular, near the edge of the mountains in the northeast.
Inhabitants began building houses made of wood and zinc roofs. Violent dynamics converged over the years, which brought government attention.
In 2013, with policy for attention to early childhood in the city and the country, the fourteenth Jardín Infantil Buen Comienzo (Good Start Kindergarten) opened. It was a place for children to plant their first dreams, opportunities,
and memories.
Under the design and implementation of the EDU, 1,556 square meters of facilities were built, 598 m2 of public space, and 2,050 m2 of free and recreational area. It included equipment and elements for ten child classrooms, nurseries, rooms for lactating moms, two rooms for crawlers, a dining area, a kitchen, an administrative area and other required spaces.
Also, with the operation of Las Golondrinas Foundation and the support of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, ICBF, service is supported by 23 community mothers, eight licensed preschool education personnel and a social worker, a psychologist, a nutritionist, a mediator artist, a special educator and a professional nurse.
But in addition to infrastructure and support from professional and technical personnel, there’s an interdisciplinary education wager that seeks for the children to explore and learn about issues such as water, animals, the environment and regional cultures.
“This garden is a place of recognition and respect, built by the community, where children are protected, cared for and are trained in values,” explains Yeini Margarita Ensuncho Celis, pedagogical coordinator.
Another achievement of this educational center, according to social worker Camilo Henao Mejía, was to position the Mesa de la Primera Infancia (Early Childhood Bureau) of the Comuna 1, where about thirty people participate, among Buen Comienzo operators, community leaders, the library network, different secretariats from the Medellín Mayor’s Office, such as Government and Health, and parents. This Early Childhood Bureau works for social mobilization, exchange of knowledge and experiences to qualify work articulately and recognize children as subjects of rights, protagonists of the present and managers for a better future.
The economic dynamics of a city like Medellín stimulate the opening of new markets and the strengthening of relations with international actors. To do so, not only technological or legal tools are needed, also human talent capable of communicating in different languages, especially in English since it is the universal language of business and communications.
This need of bilingual professionals led to the enactment of Law 1651 in 2013. It modifies articles of Law 115 of 1994 seeking to develop communication skills of Colombian students in a language foreign
However, despite the different programs developed throughout the country, the Ministry of National Education estimates that by 2018, only 8% of high school students in the country would reach a B1 level in English as a foreign language.
This figure is added to the recent study of the English Proficiency Index (EF EPI), which evaluated the skills of more than 1 million people in 80 countries, among which Colombia ranked 51 with 49.97 points. The country also was ranked 11 among the 15 Latin American nations which struggle the most with bilingualism.
Although these figures can be daunting, they are an invitation to redesign the strategies for the adequate acquisition of English as a foreign language, as in the case of Medellín Bilingüe. It is a strategy of the Mayor’s Office to improve the learning of languages in the city in which several secretariats get involve through programs such as Semilla Bilingüe, Medellín City Camps, Medellín School Camps, Teacher Training, Con vos; Inglés al barrio (English to the neighborhood), The best T, Boarding Pass to Canada and Cine Club Film Control.
According to Lorena Cañaveral, coordinator and leader of Medellín Bilingüe, “Sometimes the language is the most important item in a resume and it is time to give the opportunity not only to people who have studied abroad or with a complete immersion in English from a private school, but to all citizens who need this tool to communicate in the academic and work environment. Likewise, labor relations are not the only field in which a language can be useful. Another advantage of being bilingual is that social relationships increase as new languages are learned. ”
In the same way, the Cañaveral assures that to learn to fall in love with another language, we must leave behind a traditional model and understand that through film, music, comics, jokes and even memes, we can practice a foreign language. This is a process in which the teaching work is fundamental to break stereotypes in the teaching-learning process.
Therefore, professional skills of local human talent can be strengthened through these actions, positively impacting the increase in employment rates with foreign companies that impact the quality of life of families in the value chain.
Technological innovation, a road to development
In addition to strengthening skills in a foreign language, organizations seek to access to creative human talent that can perform innovative technological developments and which respond appropriately to the needs of each of them.
Although Medellín has an excellent university education level, the arrival of companies dedicated to the provision of services and IT development has increased the need for people with specific training in those areas .According to Adriana Pérez, Organizational Innovation Professional at Ruta N, “the city is currently undertaking a digital transformation process of the economy, therefore all the institutions of the CT + i ecosystem are facing the global challenge of the shortage of IT talent. Ruta N is working on an “IT Talent Fund” along with Sura Asset Management to close gaps while strengthening the attraction of the Landing process. ”
Under the same perspective, John Jairo González, systems engineer graduated from the University of San Buenaventura says, “the city is experiencing an absence of systems engineers because students rather to migrate to other professions. They believe the time they invest in study is not reflected in the salary they receive. Although talent and academy do exist, many companies hire technicians and technologists due to salary and operational reason. They are able to carry out actions corresponding to certain needs, but, for a greater innovative development, university professionals are required for their academic training and work experience.”
Responding to this reality, the faculties of Systems Engineering the city has (around 15), continue to adapt their curricula to improve training and research system, overcoming the gap of the city in specific issues and creatively cover the needs of companies with international projection.
The Venezuelan ecological hairdressing establishment settles in the capital of Antioquia thanks to the support of Procolombia Venezuela and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area – ACI Medellín.
“We are an ecological hair salon with a proposal of transition from the traditional Latina women beauty concept towards an environmentally friendly concept. Merging cutting-edge technology withhair relaxation techniques, “said Yarlyni Puche, Green Hair owner.
Green Hair is an innovative business model that combines beauty, environmental care and technology to offer a high-quality environmentally friendly service. They expect to continue growing in the city, generating employment, implementing its own line of products in the medium term and, also, to open a training center in ecological beauty for professionals.
ACI Medellín facilitates the installation of foreign investment projects in the city to contribute to the economic and social development of Medellín and the region.
Testimonio de Yarlyni Puche propietaria de la peluquería Green Hair Eco Boutique Salón.
New winds of leadership arrive to ACI Medellín on behalf of the Business Administrator, Catalina Restrepo Carvajal.
Restrepo has an extensive experience in project management and advisory. She has served as Replicability Director of the JuanFe Foundation; Advisor to Medellín Mayor’s Office; Advisor to the Regional Directorate of SENA; Consultant of the IFC World Bank Group; Advisor to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism and Advisor to the Government of Antioquia, among other positions.
Catalina is a Business Administrator of the St. Thomas University, Specialist in Corporate Social Responsibility and Communication Processes of the Business School of Madrid and Master in Public Relations of the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
The Board of Directors of ACI Medellín is certain that Catalina will continue to position the city in terms of international cooperation and foreign investment, through which, the agency seeks to stimulate job creation, innovation of the productive system and to strengthen the city projects while keeping citizens as the most important aspect of this development.
The new Executive Director will start her journey with the Agency next Monday, March 5.
As part of the installation ICLEI’s regional office, three important projects were launched: Urban-LEDS II (Low Emissions Urban Development Strategy), EcoLogistics (urban mobility and sustainability project) and Local Protected Areas (biodiversity and management areas).
ICLEI is an international network founded in 1990 and devoted to the construction of a sustainable future. More than 1,500 cities and around 100 countries participate in it. Currently, it has 19 regional offices, including its headquarters in Bonn (Germany) and, in our context, the Secretariat for South America based in Sao Paulo (Brazil)
David Escobar Arango, current director of Comfama, had the chance to give a close look to the performance of the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín since its very beginning. He remembers that during 2004, when he served as Private Secretary for former Mayor, Sergio Fajardo, and was coordinator of the internationalization project line, as part of Medellín’s Development Plan, the Agency was in its initial stages. He recalls that a few people from the Agency were working from cubicles inside the building of Empresas Públicas de Medellín headquarters. During that time, much of what is now the Agency was in the making. At that time, he says, the strategy was getting the word out about Medellín. The objective was to be centered on establishing international relations. As a result, the attraction of investment, cooperation resources, strengthening trade links and engaging in cultural dialogue was intended to be much easier.
“ACI had no arrogant attitude, but neither was it mendicant […] They used to say, ‘We are good but we are lacking a lot and we have a lot of problems, but we want to share and learn.’” He stresses that this feature of the Agency’s organizational culture allowed for the seeking of both cooperation resources and the attraction of investment be done straightforwardly, telling the true story of Medellín, without ignoring the past, but also showing the strengths of the city. “It was a speech without winners or losers. The objective was not to bring a company to invest and then desist because it wasn’t what the investor expected.”
With dignity, the Agency began its activities. It began to manage the first resources and has gradually been advancing on what Escobar considers the most important task: “the mental and spiritual openness of the people from Antioquia.” He insists that addressing this issue is the essential role of the Agency, but it is also its greatest challenge: to work in this society in order to have more open-mindedness. Nonetheless, he states, we have very positive values, such as entrepreneurship, resilience and the ability to overcome adversity. Antioquia has not traditionally been very open to immigration, nor to world cultures. “I would say it has not been an internationalist society, not even in recent years,” he notes.
Recognizing oneself and promoting diversity
“I want the cultures of all the lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any,” said Mahatma Gandhi, quoted by anthropologist and writer Wade Davis in one of his books. Escobar uses this quote to explain the need to continue working on global thinking, one that leads the city, the businesses and the population to a process of internationalization, without therein sacrificing identity. His assures that by knowing other cultures, one can recognize and understand its own. By way of this, we are allowing the building of a society where immigrants can actively participate, where people can come from other territories to study at local universities, to do business, to work or have internships in companies. “It would be great for companies in Antioquia, those who have made us what we are, to say, ‘In my steering committee, there is one European citizen or a Brazilian […]’ I think part of the future wealth of this society is to embrace and promote diversity.”
Now that he is working in the private sector, knowing the needs of the companies in Antioquia, he believes the task is not only for ACI Medellín or for the Medellín Mayor’s office. He suggests that public and private sectors, social organizations and universities should join forces, so that the results can be more easily obtained. Indeed, he goes further as to suggest that the Agency should also have presence of the universities, the private sector and social organizations. This is nothing but “preserving those features that have made us unique from the late nineteen-hundreds to the mid-twentieth century, those countenances which helped us survive the deepest crisis of the 1980s and 1990s,” he concludes.
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According to the Inter-American Development Bank – IDB, “a smart and sustainable city is an innovative that which uses information and communication technologies (ICT) and other means to improve decision-making, the efficiency of operations, the provision of urban services and its competitiveness.”
“Towards a territorial smartness route: the construction of the cities of the future” is the motto of the III Smart Cities Seminar.
Consistent with this definition, on Friday, February 23, 2018, the III Smart Cities Seminar was held in Medellín. The National Planning Department, the Administrative Planning Department of Medellín, the University of Antioquia, the National University, the Agency of International Cooperation of Japan – JICA and the consortium More Bio Cartif, led this event.
Medellín’s Development Plan Medellín Cuenta Con Vos “takes on the challenge of an Innovative Medellín, for its ability to transform and reinvent itself in the social, cultural and urban spheres.”
The objective of the event was to promote technological development in the urban transformation of the city and the creation of innovative solutions for citizen needs. National and international institutions such as the IDB, the ICEX (Spanish Institute of Foreign Trade), Metro de Medellín, the Ruta N Corporation participated in the event and Curitiba, Brasilia and Guatemala City contributed with their experiences.
In the words of the Divisional General Deputy Director of the National Planning Department -DNP, Alejandra Corchuelo Marmolejo “Medellín has made a strong progress in terms of social equity and wealth redistribution (…) and presents, like all city systems, great challenges such as: how to leverage technology and establish itself as a city system by using information intelligently and technologies to face security, productivity and connectivity challenges with the rest of the country? So, we are sure that Medellín is on a very good road, and we are going to work to become a modern and smart city.”
Since 2015, the largest courier company in the world and leader in transportation and specializing in logistics services, had begun searching for the right place to open their next Global Business Services office. The goal was to centralize their back-office operations for Latin America, Canada and the United States. Before the decision was made, they had evaluated six cities in five countries. San José, Costa Rica; Guadalajara, Mexico; Bogotá, Colombia and a few cities in Chile and Brazil were some of those on their radar. However, the legal and financial stability that this country offers, along with the transport infrastructure of this particular city, human talent, transformation process and scope on innovation, were decisive in their decision to opt for Medellín.
Innovation, infrastructure, talent and stability were some of the reasons that attracted UPS, the multinational corporation settled in Medellín, since the beginning of 2017.
The multinational corporation, which this year turned one-hundred-ten years old, needed a strategic location in the region, where time zones and language would not be a problem. They were searching for a place they could recruit skilled workforce and, in Medellín, they found not only what they expected, but a little bit more, as well.
“We reviewed what the city was offering in education, languages, transportation infrastructure, security, financial stability, and human talent and we found everything we needed,” said Douglas Pierce, Medellín GBS Director.
Initially, they knocked on the doors of ProColombia and they, in turn, connected UPS with the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area, ACI Medellín. The Agency was responsible for showing UPS the reasons why they should think about Antioquia’s capital.
The Agency explained to them all about the business fabric of the city. They were told Medellín is home to six of the ten companies with the highest market value in the Colombian Stock Exchange, which houses the headquarters of the so-called “Multilatinas.” Medellín is among the five cities in the country with the highest rate of entrepreneurial activity. They were informed about the benefits of the strategic location of the city, high economic performance in recent years, competitiveness in terms of operating costs, the commitment for innovation, quality of universities, human talent, but above all, the process of social transformation the city has undertaken during the past decade.
“When we saw their (ACI) presentation, our eyes were opened and we said, ‘We need to see Medellín,’” says Douglas Pierce. He adds, they have also found a city full of opportunities, a place to grow. They detected the market is not saturated by companies dedicated to back office operations, their main core business division operating in the city today. This operation supports its transportation services, logistics, healthcare and storage in Latin America. They thought it was a fundamental element which played to their advantage.
There are 100 employees in Medellín, we expect to increase that figure to 400 very soon.
Landing did not occur immediately. It was during 2016, when they made the final decision, but only in March this year, did UPS officially open its shared service center for the region on the eighth floor of Ruta N. There, a hundred people are in charge of accounting, accounts payable and receivables, billing, among other support functions of the corporation’s division. At the beginning, there were only a handful of employees but in five months, it has multiplied and reached one hundred people. “In this office we have English, Spanish and Portuguese languages,” says Pierce, adding that the result has been so successful that they began nightshift operations in November, working double shifts, one between 7:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. and another between 8:00 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. “This is very common for UPS in the United States, not in Colombia, but we will try,” he explains and underscores the possibilities of job creation and what it means in a city where the unemployment rate is close to 9,5%.
Creating bridges
During the UPS settlement process in Medellín, ACI Medellín has supported them. Its function is creating bridges, opening doors and supporting investors who come from other countries, so that they can adapt to the city.
In the case of UPS, the Agency created the connection with Ruta N, the place where the company headquarters operate. This building is located in the heart of the city’s Northern Innovation District, a zone that is one of the biggest city pledges. At the moment, what is clear is that more and more companies, the size of UPS, are turning their eyes toward the city, with real interest on exploiting its competitive advantages and ecosystem of innovation, which the city has launched, seeking to become one of the most dynamic in Latin America.
The challenge for the city, as Douglas Pierce explains, is to continue showing the new face of Medellín. “Changing the perception that the world still has” and making other investors open their eyes, too, as they did. New investors can find a space to grow in Medellín, as well as a way to contribute to the city’s development.
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Thanks to the active economic dynamics of Medellín and to the good relations of both countries, the Embassy of Japan in Colombia recently opened the Colombian-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry offices in the city. This will strengthen the commercial exchange between both countries and encourage foreign investment in the city.
Thanks to ACI Medellín’s critical support, the Colombian-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry will open a new office in the city to promote commercial and cultural relations.
The objective of this new binational office is to offer services focused on strategic lines such as foreign trade consultancies and promotion in education and culture. The members of this Chamber are mainly Japanese companies with commercial interests in Colombia and, likewise, Colombian businessmen with interests in this Asian country. Additionally, this event represents a terrific opportunity to ACI Medellín in the materialization of important investment projects and explore cooperation opportunities for the city and the region.
“I would like to make a special mention to ACI Medellín, for being a key player in our arrival in the city. The characteristics of Medellín and the drive of its people motivated us to make this decision. We hope to be the arm of the Japanese companies in the territory, ” said Oscar Romero Executive Director of the Colombian-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Watch here the full testimony of Oscar Romero Executive Director of the Colombian-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Initially, the Colombian-Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry will be in Ruta N’s facilities and they expect to start operations on March this year, to later move to its own building.
See here the testimony of Keiichiro Morishita ambassador of Japan to Colombia.
Bangkok, Thailand ― From February 21 to 23, the Global SDG 7 Conference: a global preparatory meeting in support of the review of SDG 7 will be held at the 2018 UN High-level Political Forum.
After its progress in the Public Transport of Medellín (TPM) project granted Medellín a place between the finalist in theEnergy Grantcall(2016), the city is invited to present its initiatives in sustainable energy in Bangkok, Thailand.
The event will be attended by first level leaders and there will be a panel for the finalists of the Energy Grant (2016) to present their initiatives in sustainable energy. “Medellín is the only city in Colombia that will be in this space. All other finalists are NGOs and companies dedicated to energy innovations,” said Carolina Franco, Knowledge Management Senior Professional at ACI Medellín.
In addition to the presentation at the Global Meeting, the mission includes the participation in two parallel events: Contribution of the work of the Energy Grant finalists to the implementation of the SDG7 and other SDGsand an exhibition called Transformation Towards Sustainable and Resilient Societies, these spaces will allow attendees to learn about Medellín’s experiences in complying with the SDG 2030 Agenda.
ACI Medellín will present the city’s initiatives which contribute to the implementation of the SDG 7 “Energy for all” such as: service coverage, electric mobility, thermal district and prepaid energy. The Agency also will talk about the challenges the city faces in this matter: affordability and the use of non-renewable energy mainly in transport.
Friendship is feeling comfortable, talking and sharing with others. In Medellin and Barcelona’s case, this friendship was born with a particular interest: to offer and provide to each other. It grew over time, up to the point that even new friendships in pursuit of decentralized cooperation works have been born from it.
It has been more than 17 years in which Medellín has learned from Barcelona through the exchange of models of government management and the strengthening of local governance: libraries, markets, urban habitat, education, social rights, entrepreneurship, are some of the several experiences that Global City has shared with the capital of Antioquia
There is more than one way in which Cooperation is materialized. Barcelona has seen in Medellín the abilities of an applied student, that who learned the lesson and is ready to share his experiences with the world. For this reason, Barcelona has called on Medellín to cooperate with the development of other cities, such was the case of the triangular cooperation developed with Havana (Cuba) in 2014, when they joined forces to teach their experience on urban planning and international cooperation.
Medellin and Barcelona still have a long way to go together, because friendships grown over the years, even if they are kilometers away. At the end, strong and lasting friendships are those that transcend borders despite the difficulties.
To strengthen the diplomatic ties and cooperation processes between Colombia and Japan, the Japanese Government will develop the Transport and Urban Development Seminar 2018 in Medellín at the Marriott Medellín Hotel on February 15.
The event is developed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Tourism (MLIT) of the Japanese Government. As part of the celebration of the 110th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relationship between Japan and Colombia, the Japanese Government seeks to strengthen its efforts in cooperation and will make a follow up to the Japanese companies settled in the country.
The initiative aims to promote the development conditions of Medellín and other cities with similar growth potential, through the transfer of knowledge related to the design of integrated solutions for transport and sustainable urban development.
This event is also a mechanism to reactivate the Japanese economy in Latin American markets. According to Takuya Kurita, CEO the City Bureau of MLITT, in Japan, “we have many experiences in transportation systems and urban development and we believe that they can be applied to urban transport projects in Colombia, for a solid implementation and to support the government national and local governments.”
Medellín was selected to host the seminar due to its great progress in Latin America in the implementation of integral mobility solutions.
The mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez; the president of the National Development Bank, Clemente del Valle; Deputy Minister of Transportation, Andrés Chávez and senior representatives of the Japanese Government will attend the seminar..
About 10 officials of the Swedish Government, leaded by the Vice Minister for Trade and EU Affairs, Oscar Stenström; and the Swedish Ambassador to Colombia, Tommy Strömberg, will visit Medellín next Monday, February 12, 2018.
Swedish Vice Minister for Trade and EU Affairs visits the capital of Antioquia to address the issue
They will promote sustainable solutions for the cities of the future, highlighting the importance of transportation systems. Therefore, among the suggested activities for the work agenda, crossing the city in the Metro System in the morning hours is one of the most relevant.
The Swedish Embassy in Colombia and ACI Medellín will coordinate the work agenda for the delegation during their stay in the city.
From March 17 to 24, more than 1,000 scientist and experts in biodiversity and ecosystems will gather in the Intercontinental Hotel in Medellín. They will attend the Sixth Plenary of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services(IPBES). The summaries of the four regional assessments (Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific and Europe, and Central Asia) and the evaluation on land degradation and restoration are expected to be approved during this events.
The objective of this event is to evaluate and make decisions on the current state of biodiversity and ecosystem services around the world.
Additionally, all topics associated with the IPBES procedures, as well as financial and budgetary matters will be discussed. Likewise, the progress made in terms of the global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystems and other issues that worldwide experts have been developing in recent years will be relevant in the event.
“Medellín is a privileged city in terms of biodiversity and with this event the eyes of the world will be set on it to see the results of the progress made by the global platform and the city’s urban biodiversity policy” Explained Brigitte Baptiste, Director of the Research Institute of Biological Resources Alexander von Humboldt.
“This event will be a unique opportunity to drive Medellín towards a fundamental international issue: biodiversity. Today, countries care about the fact that all human beings must take care of the environment and create mechanisms to prevent its deterioration and further extinction,” said the Executive Director of ACI Medellín, Sergio Escobar.
The meeting is sponsored by four UN entities: The Environment Programme (UNEP), Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and Development Programme(UNDP).
It is supported by the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute, the Ministry of Environment and the Economic Development Secretariat of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín through the Medellín Conventions & Visitors Bureau and the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area (ACI Medellín).
With nearly one hundred years, Grupo Nutresa is one of the most important companies in the country. Its products are sold in 70 countries worldwide. It has operations in 15 countries, and more than 45,000 employees. Sales reached more than COP8,6 trillion in 2016. It is one of six Colombian companies with the highest market value and one of the six multilatinas companies with headquarters in Medellín.
In recent years, the company has gone international. It has spread not only in the Latin American market, but in more distant geographies such as Asia. Grupo Nutresa is a company that is part of the city’s business core. Its history is tied to the economic and social development of the city and is a key player in the process of industrialization that Medellín began in the early twentieth century. It has reinvented itself and has implemented a strategy that has led the company to become one of the most recognized food players in Latin America, not only for the quality of its products, but also for its commitment to sustainability. Carlos Ignacio Gallego, the Group’s CEO, spoke with Link magazine about the importance of cooperating agencies to attract investment and to support the industrial development that brings economic and social progress.
What is the role of the industrial sector in the city’s process of transformation?
Business development is linked to social development. In fact, it is statistically proven that an important part of the productivity and competitiveness of a company is related to the environment or the context in which it operates. We say that almost 60% of productivity is what is done inside the company, and 40% to what is done outside. Grupo Nutresa was established in this city. It has some of its most important companies based here and has always been linked to the progress and development of Medellín.
Why has Nutresa remained in Medellín?
When asked about the business model of the company, we always talk about three elements: people, brands, and distribution […] So the fact that companies like us, continue here, is not only for a historical reason. We can perfectly have offices in many places. Being here has to do, first, with the talent in the region, which is the greatest strength. Secondly, with a major brand development. From here we have been able to project that growth to act in other categories and other geographies.
This Group is not the same today than it was one hundred years ago. Companies change, transform, evolve, as we all must do. But we are committed to the region and its development. We know that what most favors business development is a business environment that will provide the right conditions to grow, be profitable and have the capacity to reinvest.
During their early days, these companies were very local. It was only after year 2000 when they accelerated their pace to be in other markets with a long-term scope. It was not only to leverage a timely opportunity, but to build a regional presence, that as the company, was long term and would significantly add to the development in other countries.
How has the expansion process been?
It is a process that has been achieved with great humility. It is not only to sell elsewhere what we sell in Colombia. It is also learning about customers, clients, buyers. It is about respecting local traditions, assessing the talent in each of these regions and creating different value proposals from those of the competitors and making them better, and winning preference in those markets.
We have been able to do this, overcoming initial limitations. Antioquia was for many years a region enclosed by these mountains. The lack of adequate infrastructure made us look inward. The country was, for many years, limited by protectionist policies. We are a group that believes in the convenience of free competition, one which believes that exposure to other markets and cultures, understanding more demanding consumers makes us better. We are a group that dared to make the first export of processed coffee to Asia in 1961, and now even has own operations in Southeast Asia.
What is the importance of an organization like ACI Medellín in contributing to the development of the companies and the city?
I will highlight the importance the Agency has on building a far more global mindset in Medellín. Perhaps what you need the most for internationalization is, a mental openness that allows you to look at the other, to respect him/her, to try to learn, to value our traditions, but understanding there may be better things elsewhere. We also need to learn fast, to combine the strengths that exist locally with the ones abroad. We must understand that new ways of seeing the world and diversity are an asset and not a threat. As business leaders, we must have the openness to understand that change and evolution are not evil, it is something natural. We also have to understand that we cannot internationalize just a company, it is a society we are talking about. That is the path that has been traveled by Medellín, overcoming very difficult stages, violence, poverty and inequality. We have understood that we can work together between the public and private sectors. There’s an opportunity to build on both sides, that strong institutions are excellent so that there is business development and we as business leaders can help in this symbiosis. Development is not only for business leaders, but for the whole society.
“ACI Medellín is a facilitator of the internationalization of the city. It should be a facilitator of corporate business presence, of this change in the mindset needed to create a state and more connected companies to today’s world, not to the past.” Carlos Ignacio Gallego, Grupo Nutresa CEO.
During these 15 years, ACI Medellín has attracted investments for more than USD1.6 billion. From your point of view as a business leader, what should the city continue doing so that these investments grow and have greater economic and social development?
Companies internationalize in many ways. There are companies that become international in inputs, because they use inputs that are not produced locally. There are companies that become international for its customers, they sell to customers who are abroad. There are also international companies by investors, because there are people abroad who decide to invest, buy shares, which may act locally, but are international. There are others that become international because they have talent, which is not only the one born here.
I think Medellín may find all these forms of internationalization as suitable, because basically what is there is a hue of opportunities, to be more competitive, to have better talent, to serve larger markets, to generate more economic and social value, more jobs, more taxes, and more opportunities.
This internationalization comes in many forms. It is not achieved simply by giving away resources. It is achieved with clear institutions, with stimuli, with good public services, better education, showing the advantages we have and maybe no one has heard about yet.
I think one of the interesting topics of the Agency, but it is not its only responsibility, is to be a facilitator, a catalyst aiding in the entire process of internationalization to be faster than those places where there is no such encouragement or facilitation.
We as business leaders are constantly reviewing ourselves and looking for opportunities and in this case ACI is an ally that is available, acts with initiative, not only by demand. The Agency is not just sitting and waiting to be called, it seeks to create opportunities and supports efforts where the city can progress to become one more connected with the rest of the world. That connection is a must. In some cases, it is very simple, in others it is more elaborated. Sometimes it requires overcoming prejudices or fame for problems that have been maybe already overcome; in others we have to be very realistic and acknowledge the difficulties we have. Nonetheless, we must show that we are working to overcoming them. I think that’s one of the merits justifying that there is an Agency like this.
When you study a new investment, what do you look for, apart from the business opportunity?
First, we look at the size and dynamics of the market. Secondly, we search for places where private leadership is seen as a development. You won’t find this in all countries. We want to be where the private sector is seen as an engine for development, where private property is respected, free enterprise is welcomed, as well as free competition. Thirdly, we want to go to countries where we can apply the skills we have and where we may have allies who are willing to combine their capabilities with ours. The other analysis is on risks and opportunities to determine where to go.
I think most companies carry out an analysis like this. That is a scenario where having an Agency that is able to show the advantages, realistically explain the risks, but able to advise those interested, can be very important for the development of the region. Moreover, we interact in many countries of America and Asia with similar agencies such as ACI, they do the same. Locally there are different entities created by municipalities or city councils, promoting the cities and supporting the establishment of entrepreneurs who want to go and do business. Although national agencies are very important, in reality we do not come to settle in a country, we land in a city, then local allies make the national efforts possible.
Medellín still fears the arrival of foreign companies, that’s the reason why we must create a new mentality. When I say exposure to other cultures, to other markets, other consumers, other people, I am talking about a source of growth and not a problem. That’s the perspective. We need to move away from protectionism and work more on productivity, competitiveness, talent development, use of technology. All of the above is more valuable than protection.
ACI has been doing this. The Agency evolved from only raising cooperation funds to attracting investment… What I have seen in the world is that organizations like ACI become like the development office of the city, and are being demanded inside and abroad. For example, the DCOA (Development Corporation of Abilene) in Texas has a development office in the city. This Agency is interested in fostering not only foreign companies, but also those local players. It is in charge of developing any type of requirements.
The Colombian-French Strategic Committee (CSCF in Spanish) was created in 2015 by the President of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos and the former President of France, François Hollande and, on January 25, met in Medellín to discuss issues related to the Pacific Alliance, the post-peace agreement and foreign investment. Also, managers of French and Colombian companies presented their projects in both countries.
The event was chaired by the committee chairmen in France and Colombia, respectively, Antoine Frérot, world president of Veolia and Gonzalo Restrepo, former president of Grupo Éxito. Also, it was attended by Gautier Mignot, Ambassador of France in Colombia; Bruce Mac Master, president of ANDI; executives of Colombian companies such as Alquería, Bancolombia, Grupo EPM among others and French companies such as Poma, Thales and Veolia.
During their tour, the attendees visited the metro system, accompanied by ACI Medellín and officers of Metro de Medellín. The tram of Ayacucho and the Metrocable La Sierra, were part of the tour and both were executed with the support of the French Development Agency – AFD.
” Medellin has an excellent relationship with the French government and we continue to explore new opportunities for economic development and cooperation for the city. Gathering the presidents of the most important companies in France demonstrates the confidence they have in Medellín and opens the doors to new opportunities for foreign investment ” said Sergio Escobar, Executive Director of ACI Medellín.
The Colombian-French Strategic Committee is an entity which seeks the commercial strengthening between large companies, promoting relations between both countries in specific projects such as global value chains and trade exchanges, the environment and circular economy, sustainable cities, cultural cooperation, health and fight against tropical diseases, and post-conflict.
Testimony of the French Ambassador in Colombia, Gautier Mignot, in Spanish:
Tomorrow, January 23, starts Colombiatex of the Americas in 12,000 m2 of the Plaza Mayor exhibition center. The country’s most important event of the textile & clothing sector, seeks to activate business for more than 350 million dollars with Brazil as a guest country and strategic ally.
One of the most important and largest textile and supplies fair in the country and Latin America celebrates 30 years of existence. 550 exhibitors and around 22,000 visitors per day are expected.
Tomorrow, January 23, starts Colombiatex of the Americas in 12,000 m2 of the Plaza Mayor exhibition center. The country’s most important event of the textile & clothing sector, seeks to activate business for more than 350 million dollars with Brazil as a guest country and strategic ally.
During the three days of fair, more than 22,000 visitors per day are expected, of which 16,000 will be buyers, 40% foreign and 60% national. In the same way, in the Knowledge Pavilion (Pabellón del Conocimiento), 8,000 people are expected to talk and learn about trends, materials, markets and innovation in the sector.
As a novelty this year, the Fair will have a Graphic Market, a space that seeks to activate the artistic talent of graphic designers.
In the process of internationalization of the city and the region, Medellín Mayor’s Office, through ACI Medellín, coordinates the visit of 38 international journalists who will cover the fair and, also, understand the process of social transformation, mobility system and different projects of intervention in the streets and emblematic places of the city center.
Amaris, a leading international consulting company opened its offices in the Ruta N Innovation District. Settling in Medellín will allow them to expand their services and consolidate their presence in the region. The innovative environment offered by the city and its strategic geographic location will support Amaris’ other offices in the provision of recruitment services, human resources, administration, finance and technical support.
A joint work between ACI Medellín and Procolombia, managed to consolidate the presence of this company in the country. Amaris expects to expand its presence in Colombia and South America with its offices in Bogota and Medellín.
“Ruta N offered us a pleasant work environment. Thanks to other companies in the district, we are surrounded by an innovative and challenging environment. We are constantly interacting with the members of other foreign companies in Ruta N’s business ecosystem which had been settled here for months or even years. This as an excellent opportunity to benefit from their knowledge of the Colombian market,” said Sara Mondragón, Platform Manager in Amaris Medellin.
Likewise, for Amaris International, Medellín has a strategic location at the ideal distance from its other offices in the region, with easy access and connection to its headquarters in Europe.
“Before making this decision, we made a deep analysis of the environment and the quality of life in Latin America. Medellín was the best decision related to cost, safety, quality of life, institutional support and human talent, ” explained Mondragón.
Amaris is an international consulting group specialized in technology and management, founded in 2007.It has 65 offices in more than 50 countries and supports 700 companies around the world. It offers five advisory lines: Business and Administration, IT / IS, Telecommunications, Engineering and High Technology, Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical. The company’s turnover is 187 million Euros. Its goal for 2018 is to reach 5,000 employees staff and to ratify itself as a world leader in independent consulting.
In a bar in Buenos Aires and with a beer in hand, four friends, Martín Migoya, Guibert Englebienne, Martin Umarán and Néstor Nocetti, decided to start the adventure of doing business in a country full of uncertainty. In 2003, Argentina was going through one of the worst periods in its economic history. It was experiencing negative growth, high unemployment and inflation above 40%.
It was the least propitious time to start a business. However, sometimes in the darkest moments the best ideas emerge, and that day, with beer in hand, they thought they could create a digital transformation company, able to solve software problems to the speed and with the technology companies required. But not happy with the idea, they also thought that Globant, their venture, would serve in foreign markets and that only a very small percentage would stay in Argentina.
Globant is a multinational technology company, created in Argentina. It is now in 12 countries and has established itself in Medellín since 2013. It was attracted to the city because of its innovation, transformation and talent.
In Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Peru, India, UK, Spain, Chile and the United States, more than six thousand employees are dedicated to creating digital transformation strategies. “We call it the digital journey platform that connects users of a brand and generates empathy,” says Esteban Molina, Medellín Site Manager, to explain that Globant is much more than a company that solves software problems today. Within its service portfolio, it offers technologies such as gaming, data, IOT and AI, but primarily works to generate engagement between brands and their customers.
Talent search
Inside Globant’s DNA there is innovation and the need to find talent everywhere, not only in major cities, but any place in the world where it is available. Although created in Buenos Aires, a capital city, it was clear that talent in Argentina was also dispersed in the interior of the country, near the universities and so, they found themselves soon opening offices in provinces. This same model was extended to the countries where they arrived in.
They landed in Colombia back in 2011, initially in Bogotá, but two and half years later began to search for new options. Procolombia showed them Medellín, Cali and Bucaramanga, then came the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and the Metropolitan Area -ACI Medellín- showcased the city’s reality to them. For Globant, Medellín had been the city of the 1990s, described in films and series. However, ACI Medellín showed them a city undergoing transformation. They found a city with technology environment and innovation, with good universities, adequate urban facilities, continuous social metamorphosis, but especially with human talent, the input they have always focused on.
Besides giving them arguments to open their office in Medellín, the Agency connected them with what they needed. They were introduced to Ruta N and accompanied during the landing and establishment process.
“In 2013, we started in Medellín. We arrived more or less in April and it was a very quick process. We needed to grow and, within a month, we had already solved all these variables. Just a few of us arrived to Ruta N, and then, in just eight months, we were a hundred,” recounts Esteban Molina, now Medellín Site Manager. Back then, when Globant arrived in 2013, he was just an engineer working for an Argentinian company with a name. He was searching for an environment where he could continue growing and creating products for customers worldwide.
When Globant arrived in Medellín, it was one of the first companies to operate with Ruta N’s landing program. They started with two employees and no furniture. Soon staff multiplied. They reached the first one hundred, and in August 2017, the personnel in charge of assisting clients from Medellín had already summed 454. They were at Ruta N during two-and-a-half years, more than enough time to grow and expand and earn a place within the organization. In 2015, they showcased their own headquarters, compared to those of Google in Silicon Valley. Swing chairs, bean bags and nap-worthy seats, massage room, board games, barbecue and coffee areas, along with other benefits that seek to retain engineers, web designers and experienced designers, among other professionals who make up the team today. Every month, the staff is reinforced with the entry of 16 or 18 people on average.
They found not only talent in Medellín, but a favorable environment, explains Esteban Molina, because although the free trade zones can be very attractive for companies looking to expand, industrial parks and spaces such as Ruta N are helpful because they favor a physical area at a good price for those just starting. It also offers a good location. In the case of Ruta N, it is located in the so-called Innovation District and offers the opportunity to share a site with other companies that live similar processes, those who seek new markets and can become potential customers and suppliers. “At Ruta N, we found the opportunity to develop something for someone. We were able to hire people we met there. We also saw stories of failures and learned from all that was happening.”
“What I like about ACI, is that they never forget. They do not just bring companies and feel that their work is done. They maintain the relationship, accompany and follow up hand-in-hand,” explains the head of the Medellín operations. He has already faced the difficulty for some clients to accept the development of projects by the team from this city, but thanks to Globant’s work, their reputation, and with the help of ACI Medellín, these clients have modified the idea they originally had.
Continue to grow
Comparison of Globant with Google is not a coincidence. The British airline that believed in them recommended them to Google and they soon became one of their suppliers. Then came other brands such as Fox, Coca-Cola, American Express, BBVA, Petrobras, Santander, Mercado Libre and Money Gram, among others, who have acquired their services. As such, Medellín’s office has become a fundamental part, because many of the products to some of the most important clients of the company are resolved from here. Even the short-term expectation is to double employees in Medellín and reach 900 to continue meeting the needs of companies around the world.
In 2014, what the four friends never dreamed of for Globant in that bar happened for real. They rang the bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the prestigious Wall Street securities exchange. That day, they became one more technology company in the world’s largest market, but not a company like any other, quite unique. One that has grown in small towns surrounded by universities, where talent is being created, in highly innovative environments and with major interest in technology.
Today, the Arví Park Corporation was choosen as one of the three finalists in the “Destination” category of the Tourism for Tomorrow Award of the World Travel and Tourism Council based in London. The winners of 2018 will be announced during the Global Summit on April 19 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Colombian corporation runs against the Riverwind Foundation of the United States and the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association of Canada. The finalists of the category will be exalted for their commitment to offer best practices on sustainable tourism.
During the announcement, Graham Miller, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of the University of Surrey, England, highlighted the qualities of the Arví Park and the programs carried out in the Santa Elena township.
According to Mr. Miller: “This year’s finalists represent all corners of the world, showing that tourism can be a powerful way to achieve sustainability goals. We see examples of organizations that have created huge marine and terrestrial protected areas, educate children on the importance of heritage, empower women and take electric power to places where this service is not available All these organizations show tourism can make a more sustainable future.”
Arví Park
It was officially opened in 2012. The Arví Ecotourism Regional Park (Arví Park), is located in the Santa Elena township (Medellín). It is an open park on public use terrains, created for the enjoyment of the local, national and international community. This park gives importance to the cultural and environmental wealth, the archaeological heritage, the tradition of Silleteros and the entrepreneurship of its inhabitants through sustainable tourism.
Two years ago, the world’s leading appliance brand established a partnership with Industrias Haceb to open the first washing machine production plant in Colombia and the Andean region. When a company like Whirlpool is looking for a new place to invest, countries will compete to be chosen and gain the funds and benefits of that investment. Such benefits include economic and social development, better quality of life, international positioning and increased visibility for the chosen country and city.
Two years ago, the world’s leading appliance brand established a partnership with Industrias Haceb to open the first washing machine production plant in Colombia and the Andean region.
One of the reasons why Whirlpool decided to invest in Colombia, and specifically in Antioquia, was the strategic position the country has in the Andean region and Central America, as well as its human talent and experience, which is exemplified in Industrias Haceb. As Alejandro Toscano, Government Affairs & Communications Manager of Whirlpool Latin America, explains, “this is one of the main conditions a company looks for when investing, because you cannot carry out an investment without skilled labor to move it forward.”
In addition, Haceb’s industrial park (Haceb is a leader in the Colombian home appliance market) and the existence of access roads for adequate logistics leveraged the investment of this multinational company, which in Latin America had only previously had a washing machine plant in Brazil.
Fernando Szewkies, CEO of Haceb Whirlpool Industrial S.A.S..
A 50/50 partnership
Industrias Haceb and Whirlpool signed a joint venture agreement for the production of washing machines. The Colombian company provided the local knowledge and acquisition of human talent and the multinational corporation the experience and the technological development for manufacturing washing machines. The production equipment was imported from Spain, Italy, the United States, and Japan, which means the new plant, located in the municipality of Copacabana, has the best technology. The partnership was completed via the incorporation of the company Haceb Whirlpool Industrias S.A.S. which had an investment of USD50 million. Fernando Szewkies, the company’s CEO, explained that the alliance is purely industrial—the plant produces about 70 models of washing machines for both brands—because in the market they remain competitors. Each partner has their own strategies and commercial teams. Currently, the joint company exports high-tech and superior quality washing machines to 17 Caribbean, Central and South American countries.
A job opportunity
Foreign investment in a city brings new job opportunities for its people. The Haceb-Whirlpool company has generated nearly 200 direct jobs (around 50% are women) and more than 1,000 indirect employment opportunities through its providers and the supply chain.
However, this is not just about hiring new employees; they must be prepared and trained to understand the production standards of the company and know how to fulfill their job responsibilities. Everyone who enters must therefore first attend the Escuela de Destrezas (in English, Skills School), “an investment we make to ensure we have the best employees and thus, together with the technology we have, achieve the best quality and highest productivity and efficiency standards,” says Szewkies. This also demonstrates the partners’ interest in offering their employees the best working conditions and generating loyalty, a sense of belonging and motivation to grow together and work to develop and strengthen the Colombian industry. “We challenge ourselves to do things better and better. Even though we already have very good indicators in quality, productivity, the environment, safety and health, we know that we can keep improving. Continuous improvement is the cultural foundation of this company,” concludes Szewkies.
The partnership’s achievements
In two years of operation the Haceb- Whirlpool washing machine plant has achieved national and international recognition for its quality, innovation and actions to reduce the environmental impact of its operations. It has also been recognized for exporting the latest washing machine technology to 17 countries and for its constant search for new markets. This benefits both partners: on the one hand, Haceb was able to enter into washing machine production backed by a company with 106 years of experience in the manufacturing of such appliances and, on the other hand, Whirlpool opened a modern and strategic plant for the Latin American market that operates thanks to the commitment and willingness of local human talent that quickly adapted to the company’s global quality standards.
Building a network
The Red de Ensamble (in English, Assembly Business Network) is an alliance of six local companies to promote the development and competitiveness of Medellín’s manufacturing sector. The network attracts national and international suppliers and relevant technology, in addition to creating tailored human capital. Industrias Haceb is part of this network. ACI Medellín has a coordinating role within the network: it suggests and generates pertinent and strategic meetings for its members, provides them with support and manages various events to show the benefits of the city and its industrial wealth.
In order to have foreign investment in a city, both the needs of the investing company and the conditions the city offers, for example, the human talent of its inhabitants, are taken into account.
Twenty-five years ago, we were the most violent city in the world. Today, we are a benchmark for transformation. Our people took control of their territories and, thanks to a joint effort among all sectors of society, including organizations such as ACI, we have achieved a city that, despite its many challenges, we are proud of.
Medellín is the protagonist of a great transformation process. We acknowledge our past, but we are looking to the future with conviction. We know we’ve come a long way, but above all, we are aware that much remains to be done. We had to live through one of Colombia’s largest migrations from the countryside to the city, as well as violence few places in the world have experienced. But that story is what made us strong and it is what has allowed us to build our present and to dream of a future in which all our people have the necessary guarantees for a happy life.
We are a city of infinite possibilities, a city that reaffirms its commitment to go far and beyond together with the participation of citizens, public institutions, private companies and universities. Thanks to institutions such as the Agency for Cooperation and Investment of Medellín, ACI, we have created bridges; we have built relationships; we have managed processes of cooperation to support the implementation of the city’s development plan and we have acknowledged our own story of hope, strength and resilience.
Today we continue working to strive for a Medellín that is safe, competitive, innovative, sustainable and suitable for business, and to achieve this, we are working on a model of governance based on citizen trust. A city we can trust, is a city that works, because everyone gives their best and receives what they expect. During this process, we have built a long-term vision, we take risks and transform our territories for the welfare of the people.
We are essentially trying to positively impact the lives of communities. That’s why we intend to carry out the “Plan Maestro del Centro” (Master Plan for the city’s Downtown), which has fundamental environmental and urban components in order to recover this major city zone. Also, the “Metrocable Picacho” project will allow us to connect the population of the northeastern hills to the rest of the city in less time and far cheaper than today. In addition, our comprehensive security and coexistence strategy allows us to guarantee the tranquility of our people. In this endeavor, we aggregate the efforts we have made in education and employment such as the 1,441 children who were outside the school system and have now been re-enrolled; also, we will award 10,000 higher education scholarships, an offer created together with the private sector to ensure its relevance. We have also taken the institutional employment needs to the neighborhoods of the city, benefiting more than 70,000 people.
In Medellín, we are trying to be an engine that boosts Colombia’s growth and we expect that by walking together, as we have done during these first 15 years of ACI, we will continue improving the human development index of our citizens. This joint effort is due to the union of everyone’s wills, as well as, because of the visit of representatives and international executives who have lived and felt our change and have share it with the world.
“If we have a city we can trust, we have a city that works, because everyone gives their best and receives what they expect.”
